Good point. But these low temps haven't been seen down here since around 1983. And even then they didn't last long. The extreme cold (for us) sticking around for a week is very unusual.
I remember that. Got down to single digits in Austin. Funny thing is, within about two weeks, there were places in Texas in triple digits! Crazy. c.
You can't really use "places in Texas" as a reference...it's too big.
As Michener noted in his book Texas, Orange, Texas is closer to Jacksonville (ie the Atlantic Ocean) than it is to El Paso... and El Paso is closer to Los Angeles than it is to Orange.
It's 847 miles from Philadelphia to Jacksonville....it's 877 across Texas on I 10.
You're right of course. But the 'places' that hit 100 two weeks after single digits were within an hour's drive from Austin. I remember because Austin just missed 100. I think the heat was in advance of another hard cold front - if I recall right it got pretty cold again shortly thereafter. c.
Good point. But these low temps haven't been seen down here since around 1983. And even then they didn't last long. The extreme cold (for us) sticking around for a week is very unusual.
I remember that. Got down to single digits in Austin. Funny thing is, within about two weeks, there were places in Texas in triple digits! Crazy. c.
You can't really use "places in Texas" as a reference...it's too big.
As Michener noted in his book Texas, Orange, Texas is closer to Jacksonville (ie the Atlantic Ocean) than it is to El Paso... and El Paso is closer to Los Angeles than it is to Orange.
It's 847 miles from Philadelphia to Jacksonville....it's 877 across Texas on I 10.
Good point. But these low temps haven't been seen down here since around 1983. And even then they didn't last long. The extreme cold (for us) sticking around for a week is very unusual.
Good point. But these low temps haven't been seen down here since around 1983. And even then they didn't last long. The extreme cold (for us) sticking around for a week is very unusual.
We lost power for a time overnight but it was on this morning and I wouldn't have known if it hadn't been for the blinking MW oven. We have friends who live about 3/4 of a mile away that have been out since Sunday...They got caught in the oh shit it didn't come back on from the rolling blackout group...Kind of like being put in timeout. Stay warm amigo!
This catastrophe should be a wake-up call to everyone. Our infrastructure is flimsy as tissue paper. Now the big problem is becoming clean water. Lots of folks are on boil notice. Internet service is spotty at best: I'm attempting to work, but it's slow going. At least we have mostly consistent power: lots of folks don't. I don't know how we escaped the rolling blackouts, but I'm not complaining.
We have a little RO unit so that should be good enough for drinking water. Plus rainwater barrels, and the pool, for non-potable uses.
In this county there are a lot of people who live in mobile homes and RVs. I don't know how they're making it, those things aren't insulated well enough for this kind of cold. And most use electricity for heat - that's one reason the grid is overwhelmed. I know this is a once-in-a-generation event, but it should be a cold slap in the face to all the utility providers. Our illustrious Guv is doing his usual bloviating to no good effect: nice to know some things don't change. c.
Didn't Texas have a once-in-a-generation event in early/mid-January?
There is no such thing anymore.
Good point. But these low temps haven't been seen down here since around 1983. And even then they didn't last long. The extreme cold (for us) sticking around for a week is very unusual.
The utilities were not designed for these conditions, which is why there are so many system failures. It's a double-edged sword though: designing for extremes adds huge costs up-front, in both design and construction. Those costs drive customers' rates up. Utilities have to balance between reliability under extreme conditions, versus day-to-day cost to customers.
Take the wind turbines for example - apparently many of them froze up, reducing power going into the grid when it was desperately needed. But adding a heating system (or cooling, for that matter) to keep them turning at sub-freezing temps would be a huge cost adder - and maybe never used throughout the life of the turbine.
That said, this disaster may herald a reckoning about how we manage our infrastructure. Long overdue in my opinion, but hey. c.
We lost power for a time overnight but it was on this morning and I wouldn't have known if it hadn't been for the blinking MW oven. We have friends who live about 3/4 of a mile away that have been out since Sunday...They got caught in the oh shit it didn't come back on from the rolling blackout group...Kind of like being put in timeout. Stay warm amigo!
This catastrophe should be a wake-up call to everyone. Our infrastructure is flimsy as tissue paper. Now the big problem is becoming clean water. Lots of folks are on boil notice. Internet service is spotty at best: I'm attempting to work, but it's slow going. At least we have mostly consistent power: lots of folks don't. I don't know how we escaped the rolling blackouts, but I'm not complaining.
We have a little RO unit so that should be good enough for drinking water. Plus rainwater barrels, and the pool, for non-potable uses.
In this county there are a lot of people who live in mobile homes and RVs. I don't know how they're making it, those things aren't insulated well enough for this kind of cold. And most use electricity for heat - that's one reason the grid is overwhelmed. I know this is a once-in-a-generation event, but it should be a cold slap in the face to all the utility providers. Our illustrious Guv is doing his usual bloviating to no good effect: nice to know some things don't change. c.
Didn't Texas have a once-in-a-generation event in early/mid-January?
A Texas mayor has resigned after telling residents of his city to âGet off your ass and take care of your own family!â in the face of a devastating once-in-a-generation winter storm that has killed more than 20 people across the country and left millions without power in the state.
Colorado City mayor Tom Boyd told the 4,000 or so of his fellow citizens in his town that he was âsick and tired of people looking for a damn handoutâ and blamed âa socialist governmentâ for the dire situation.
âNo one owes you or your family anything; nor is it the local governmentâs responsibility to support you during trying times like this! Sink or swim, itâs your choice! The City and County, along with power providers or any other service owes you NOTHING!,â Boyd continued in the career-ending rant he posted on a local community Facebook group.
Instead he suggested that people look to inspiration from their churches. âOnly the strong will survive and the weak will perish. Folks, God has given us the tools to support ourselves in times like this,â he said.
We lost power for a time overnight but it was on this morning and I wouldn't have known if it hadn't been for the blinking MW oven. We have friends who live about 3/4 of a mile away that have been out since Sunday...They got caught in the oh shit it didn't come back on from the rolling blackout group...Kind of like being put in timeout. Stay warm amigo!
This catastrophe should be a wake-up call to everyone. Our infrastructure is flimsy as tissue paper. Now the big problem is becoming clean water. Lots of folks are on boil notice. Internet service is spotty at best: I'm attempting to work, but it's slow going. At least we have mostly consistent power: lots of folks don't. I don't know how we escaped the rolling blackouts, but I'm not complaining.
We have a little RO unit so that should be good enough for drinking water. Plus rainwater barrels, and the pool, for non-potable uses.
In this county there are a lot of people who live in mobile homes and RVs. I don't know how they're making it, those things aren't insulated well enough for this kind of cold. And most use electricity for heat - that's one reason the grid is overwhelmed. I know this is a once-in-a-generation event, but it should be a cold slap in the face to all the utility providers. Our illustrious Guv is doing his usual bloviating to no good effect: nice to know some things don't change. c.
Location: 543 miles west of Paradis,1491 miles eas Gender:
Posted:
Feb 17, 2021 - 9:31am
cc_rider wrote:
Coaxial wrote:
Hope you've got power. We've been fine, just a blip here and there. Other neighbors have been cycling on/off every 20-30 minutes - not sure how we escaped that. Several friends have been without power about two days now. At least you can put the frozen foods outside... c.
We lost power for a time overnight but it was on this morning and I wouldn't have known if it hadn't been for the blinking MW oven. We have friends who live about 3/4 of a mile away that have been out since Sunday...They got caught in the oh shit it didn't come back on from the rolling blackout group...Kind of like being put in timeout. Stay warm amigo!
Hope you've got power. We've been fine, just a blip here and there. Other neighbors have been cycling on/off every 20-30 minutes - not sure how we escaped that. Several friends have been without power about two days now. At least you can put the frozen foods outside... c.
I have close to 8 inches in my yard. Boss said I had to come in so I tried. My zippy little convertible is no match for a got damn blizzard. I got stuck in the intersection first. Mainly because the snow was too deep for me to drive over. Tried to roll backwards and slid off the overpass and into the ditch at 6am. Texted boss...no reply. Texted around 7:30 that GTPD suggested I call a tow truck. Got a one word "ok". Finally got home around 9:30 or so. Some kids helped me get my car back on the road and I followed the tire tracks ahead of me to get home. I had to go way past my street to find one someone had driven on so I could follow the tracks. At around noon boss texted me " Co-worker is coming in", not you ok? Not are you still outside in your car? No fucks given at all....not a single one.
cc_rider wrote:
Today we woke up to about 3" of snow. Drifts up to a foot. Even got out the ol' snowboard!
This much snow in Central Texas only happens maybe once in 30 years. It shuts down the whole state! Power outages, no internet (!!), frozen pipes, idiots trying to drive... Looks pretty though. c.
That is crazy. Snow is not so bad to drive on, but we have a layer of ice underneath! 4WD does not help: sure you can 'go', but your 'whoa' is not any better than 2WD. Boss is a jerk, and endangering people - not just you but first responders and anyone who has a real emergency. Stupid. c.
Yep, jerk boss. Times like this show the true colors of a person's character... pffft on your boss.
Ding ding ding....we have a winner. I'm working on a exit plan
ScottFromWyoming wrote:
PoundPuppy wrote:
I have close to 8 inches in my yard. Boss said I had to come in so I tried. My zippy little convertible is no match for a got damn blizzard. I got stuck in the intersection first. Mainly because the snow was too deep for me to drive over. Tried to roll backwards and slid off the overpass and into the ditch at 6am. Texted boss...no reply. Texted around 7:30 that GTPD suggested I call a tow truck. Got a one word "ok". Finally got home around 9:30 or so. Some kids helped me get my car back on the road and I followed the tire tracks ahead of me to get home. I had to go way past my street to find one someone had driven on so I could follow the tracks. At around noon boss texted me " Co-worker is coming in", not you ok? Not are you still outside in your car? No fucks given at all....not a single one.
Exactly. It's irresponsible to be out on the roads like that. Especially in a glorified go-cart.
Good times noodle salad
cc_rider wrote:
PoundPuppy wrote:
I have close to 8 inches in my yard. Boss said I had to come in so I tried. My zippy little convertible is no match for a got damn blizzard. I got stuck in the intersection first. Mainly because the snow was too deep for me to drive over. Tried to roll backwards and slid off the overpass and into the ditch at 6am. Texted boss...no reply. Texted around 7:30 that GTPD suggested I call a tow truck. Got a one word "ok". Finally got home around 9:30 or so. Some kids helped me get my car back on the road and I followed the tire tracks ahead of me to get home. I had to go way past my street to find one someone had driven on so I could follow the tracks. At around noon boss texted me " Co-worker is coming in", not you ok? Not are you still outside in your car? No fucks given at all....not a single one.
cc_rider wrote:
Today we woke up to about 3" of snow. Drifts up to a foot. Even got out the ol' snowboard!
This much snow in Central Texas only happens maybe once in 30 years. It shuts down the whole state! Power outages, no internet (!!), frozen pipes, idiots trying to drive... Looks pretty though. c.
That is crazy. Snow is not so bad to drive on, but we have a layer of ice underneath! 4WD does not help: sure you can 'go', but your 'whoa' is not any better than 2WD. Boss is a jerk, and endangering people - not just you but first responders and anyone who has a real emergency. Stupid. c.
I have close to 8 inches in my yard. Boss said I had to come in so I tried. My zippy little convertible is no match for a got damn blizzard. I got stuck in the intersection first. Mainly because the snow was too deep for me to drive over. Tried to roll backwards and slid off the overpass and into the ditch at 6am. Texted boss...no reply. Texted around 7:30 that GTPD suggested I call a tow truck. Got a one word "ok". Finally got home around 9:30 or so. Some kids helped me get my car back on the road and I followed the tire tracks ahead of me to get home. I had to go way past my street to find one someone had driven on so I could follow the tracks. At around noon boss texted me " Co-worker is coming in", not you ok? Not are you still outside in your car? No fucks given at all....not a single one.
I have close to 8 inches in my yard. Boss said I had to come in so I tried. My zippy little convertible is no match for a got damn blizzard. I got stuck in the intersection first. Mainly because the snow was too deep for me to drive over. Tried to roll backwards and slid off the overpass and into the ditch at 6am. Texted boss...no reply. Texted around 7:30 that GTPD suggested I call a tow truck. Got a one word "ok". Finally got home around 9:30 or so. Some kids helped me get my car back on the road and I followed the tire tracks ahead of me to get home. I had to go way past my street to find one someone had driven on so I could follow the tracks. At around noon boss texted me " Co-worker is coming in", not you ok? Not are you still outside in your car? No fucks given at all....not a single one.
cc_rider wrote:
Today we woke up to about 3" of snow. Drifts up to a foot. Even got out the ol' snowboard!
This much snow in Central Texas only happens maybe once in 30 years. It shuts down the whole state! Power outages, no internet (!!), frozen pipes, idiots trying to drive... Looks pretty though. c.
That is crazy. Snow is not so bad to drive on, but we have a layer of ice underneath! 4WD does not help: sure you can 'go', but your 'whoa' is not any better than 2WD. Boss is a jerk, and endangering people - not just you but first responders and anyone who has a real emergency. Stupid. c.
And the ice is sliding down the roof and into the gutters. What a racket. 
